SOURCE AUDIO Classic Distortion overview

1Description

Designed for electric guitar players, the Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion from Source Audio is an effects pedal providing 11 different distortion sounds in one box, with algorithmic recreations of four famous tube-amp overdrive timbres, eight notable fuzz boxes, and a clean boost/EQ mode to round it out. Its seven-band graphic equalizer, alongside its two drive controls, help you to elicit a wide array of tonal possibilities, all of which you can store within six onboard presets. You can recall these presets by clicking one of three footswitches, while a bank-selection button lets you to choose between your preset banks. Saving a preset is as easy as pressing a footswitch and holding it down.

The pedal offers multiple ways of manipulating sound from other devices. For instance, using an expression pedal connected to the stompbox’s corresponding TRS input jack, you can morph between two presets, thus achieving fluid changes in tone from clean to overdriven, low gain to high gain, fuzz squealing to chunky metal, etc. Conversely, you can use an expression pedal to switch between preset banks. In this manner, you’ll have access to all six preset footswitches without ever having to stoop down and push a button. MIDI control is made possible via the 5-pin DIN jack, so you can control anything from preset selection to drive using a compatible MIDI controller.

Then you have a quirky method of manipulation sure to pique your fancy: Hot Hand control. The Hot Hand technology provided by Source Audio let you smoothly control parameters of the pedal through its onboard sensor and a corresponding two-axis accelerometer that you can wear like a ring. In essence, by changing the position of your hand, you can modulate parameters of the pedal in a fluid fashion. A calibration button allows you to find a “zero point,” while an additional sensor is built into the pedal to facilitate the daisy-chaining of other Hot Hand enabled pedals, giving you one ring to rule them all (your pedals, that is).

This pedal uses a 56-bit digital signal path to achieve its emulative effects, though its converters operate in industry-standard 24-bit on the A/D and D/A side. Though the Classic utilizes digital architecture, its bypass is analog, ensuring your signal is fully routed around the DSP with no degradation. Included with the pedal is a 9 VDC power supply.

All Soundblox and Soundblox Pro pedals are ‘Hot Hand Ready’ and can be used with any Hot Hand motion sensor to extend the capabilities of the unit

Active analog bypass is fully routed around the DSP and active input ensures no signal degradation

9 VDC power supply included

Controls at a Glance

EFFECT: This knob selects which distortion type will be used, giving you 11 effect positions around the knob as well as a setting for CLEAN BOOST/ EQ; in the CLEAN BOOST/EQ mode, the distortion effect is bypassed, but the output, midrange, and equalizer still apply

DRIVE 1: This knob adjusts the amount of distortion before the MIDRANGE control

DRIVE 2: This knob adjusts the amount of distortion AFTER the MIDRANGE control

MIDRANGE: This control provides boost or cut to a pre-selected midrange frequency; the frequency varies depending on the type of distortion selected with the EFFECT knob

OUTPUT: This adjusts the output level of the effect, and is useful for setting the level of the processed signal as compared to bypass signal (please note, because the effect compresses the sound, the dynamic range of the distorted signal will be decreased when compared to your sound in bypass; this should be accounted for when setting levels)

BAND SELECT LEFT and RIGHT: These two buttons on either side of the EQ knob select which frequency band you’ll process with the EQ

EQ KNOB: The equalizer knob changes the value of the selected band up or down in 1 dB steps

PRESET BANK: This pedal presents six user presets two banks; you can select the preset bank with this button, at which point all three presets will be available via the three footswitches

HH ENABLE: The Hot Hand enable button enables or disables Hot Hand control for the selected preset; This way, Hot Hand control can be set up for an individual preset and can be left off for the others

CALIBRATE: Pressing this button will turn on calibration mode, which allows you to set a zero point for an attached Hot Hand sensor; please not that calibration can only be enabled when HH ENABLE is on

FOOTSWITCHES: These pedals allow you to select among three presets with your feet, though you can also bypass the pedal by pressing any of these footswitches twice; please note, however, that all changes to presets will be lost if you switch presets—or go into bypass—without saving first (saving is as easy as pressing and holding down a footswitch)

CRUNCH TUBE: Not an emulation, but an aggressive tube distortion of Source Audio’s design

TS9000: Based on the Ibanez Tube Screamer, featuring a lot of mid boost

BIG PI: Based on an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi of indeterminate model specification

EL RATON: Based on the ProCo Rat

FUZZ FAÇADE: Emulation of the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face

BENDER: Modeled on the Tone Bender MK II

METAL: Not an emulation, but a metal distortion with plenty of highs and lows, designed by Source Audio

OCTAVE FUZZ: A full-wave rectifier mimicking the Octavia (Please note: this distortion often sounds better with DRIVE 2 turned up much higher than DRIVE 1)

CLEAN BOOST/EQ: A distortion effect bypass that still allows the gain and the graphic EQ to be used; suitable for clean lead boosts, or alternately, useful for accessing the 7-band graphic EQ without implementing gain changes (Please note: clipping the output is possible with this setting, but if the levels are boosted high enough, the hard clipping can have a pleasant effect)